Headphoneus Supremus

I have the disease.....So I guess there are signs that you have enough gear. Like when you go to add one more new buy and get the error: your signature is one line too long.No Music, No Life..."there is no dark side of the moon really. as a matter of fact it's all dark."
See my gear https://www.head-fi.org/members/groucho69.456280/

1000+ Head-Fier

Got my ZoomFred's in. Out of the box, I already find these pretty impressive. Bass and soundstage is what surprises me the most. Can't wait to burn these in. The bass already sounds better than the CampFred's, which is already a step above the QFred's. Cypherus seems to have nailed the tonality with these. Makes me REALLY curious about the CAX Red Dragon more now lol. Also, makes me wonder why I have so much trouble with IEMs and headphones.

Now I got to complain for a second here... I bought some $800 beryllium(-coated) headphones recently and have been pretty disappointed with them (sold my CampFred 2 for them as I needed a bassy alternative with isolation for work). Already getting ready to return them... Nothing much seems to hit the sweet spot for me between bass-thumping musicality, analytical fidelity, and plain neutrality. It's always leans too much in one direction. The only thing that has nailed it are my Diomnes Lvl2, Cypherus buds, and Sony MDR-Z1R. One is absurdly more expensive than the other!

I have some beryllium IEMs coming tomorrow, but honestly, I'm already prepared for disappointment. I'm starting to consider buying some ear muffs or something and use that to block sound while using earbuds.

I have some beryllium IEMs coming tomorrow, but honestly, I'm already prepared for disappointment.

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I must be too easily pleased because I am rarely disappointed. Of course I know some of my stuff is better than other stuff but whatever I am using I usually just get into my music and forget to critique the equipment.

Headphoneus Supremus

Got my ZoomFred's in. Out of the box, I already find these pretty impressive. Bass and soundstage is what surprises me the most. Can't wait to burn these in. The bass already sounds better than the CampFred's, which is already a step above the QFred's. Cypherus seems to have nailed the tonality with these. Makes me REALLY curious about the CAX Red Dragon more now lol. Also, makes me wonder why I have so much trouble with IEMs and headphones.

Now I got to complain for a second here... I bought some $800 beryllium(-coated) headphones recently and have been pretty disappointed with them (sold my CampFred 2 for them as I needed a bassy alternative with isolation for work). Already getting ready to return them... Nothing much seems to hit the sweet spot for me between bass-thumping musicality, analytical fidelity, and plain neutrality. It's always leans too much in one direction. The only thing that has nailed it are my Diomnes Lvl2, Cypherus buds, and Sony MDR-Z1R. One is absurdly more expensive than the other!

I have some beryllium IEMs coming tomorrow, but honestly, I'm already prepared for disappointment. I'm starting to consider buying some ear muffs or something and use that to block sound while using earbuds.

Click to expand...

I think the real question here is how is the cable on the zoomfreds. Is it soft enough?

1000+ Head-Fier

I must be too easily pleased because I am rarely disappointed. Of course I know some of my stuff is better than other stuff but whatever I am using I usually just get into my music and forget to critique the equipment.

Right now I am really enjoying my PMV B01 Aoede

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Every time you upgrade, the more expensive it gets. When something 3x the price of your TOTL earbuds doesn't meet your expectations, it's hard not to be disappointed. Not to mention a huge waste of money if you're unable to get a full refund. At this point, all I'm looking for though is something that provides isolation, portability, and comparable sound quality, all without dropping a fortune.

The headphones I got just drowned you in mid-bass and thick mids, despite resolving details with high fidelity. Quality bass at high quantities is really hard to do without washing out all the other frequencies, which I understand. The beryllium phones have been getting good reviews, but it's just the tuning I can't get behind.

IEM Reviewer Extraordinaire

Thank you! and you obviously know much more than I do about measurements but I’m trying to learn as I go along. Just one question. I see some graphs target for 0db as a baseline (everything closer to it is ideal in the lower frequencies and there seems to be a natural rise around 2k and a fall beyond that) then I see other graphs which seem to be using a completely different db level as a ‘baseline’.

On this particular graph is it useful to grade ‘neutrality’ in relation to some db level or is it more important to just look at the general balance of the response.

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Unless the measurement equipment is specified to have calibrated to a certain loudness (94dB @ 1kHz is most common), the dB scale you see on most graphs are actually not an absolute value in real life but just a way to show relative loudness over the whole frequency range. For example, if the artificial ear is calibrated for 94dB @ 1kHz, then the 1kHz point on the graph (regardless whether it is at 0dB point or not) will be absolute 94dB - so if 2kHz on the graph is +5dB over 1kHz, then we know that 2kHz is 94+5dB loud in real life. Calibration is crucial if you want to measure the headphone's SPL (usually at 1V or 0.1V), but not so much on its FR curve because whether 1kHz is on certain loudness or not will NOT change the relative loudness of 2kHz over 1kHz (meaning the FR curve doesn't change much regardless of what loudness the headphone is on, as long as it is relatively reasonable) - thus most people don't bother to calibrate (*not to mention sound level calibrator is usually pretty expensive for fairly limited use).

That being said - the 0dB point you see on most graph are the result of scale adjustment by the person who took the measurement. I can adjust the graph so the FR curve is either 0dB @1kHz, or 0dB @ 10kHz, or 0dB @ any point of the frequency response - and it will still be the same FR curve. The adjustment is just a way to make it easier to read and serve no other purpose since my rig isn't calibrated to a fixed loudness.

Headphoneus Supremus

I have some beryllium IEMs coming tomorrow, but honestly, I'm already prepared for disappointment. I'm starting to consider buying some ear muffs or something and use that to block sound while using earbuds.

At this point, all I'm looking for though is something that provides isolation, portability, and comparable sound quality, all without dropping a fortune.

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have you tried the etymotics line? i really like their sound signature, and the isolation is (scarily) great. like you i also playing with the idea of buying earmuffs and just using earbuds when i go out, but that means i have to carry another large object with me. and also i don't like walking around wearing headphones, it's hot to the ears and people tend to look at you in my country. i went with iem and bluetooth neckband combo instead

1000+ Head-Fier

Every time you upgrade, the more expensive it gets. When something 3x the price of your TOTL earbuds doesn't meet your expectations, it's hard not to be disappointed. Not to mention a huge waste of money if you're unable to get a full refund. At this point, all I'm looking for though is something that provides isolation, portability, and comparable sound quality, all without dropping a fortune.

The headphones I got just drowned you in mid-bass and thick mids, despite resolving details with high fidelity. Quality bass at high quantities is really hard to do without washing out all the other frequencies, which I understand. The beryllium phones have been getting good reviews, but it's just the tuning I can't get behind.

It's not stiff. Nothing like the CAX Black, especially after the splitter, since the cables lose the thick covering.

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If you are looking for some on/over ears with use in a portable manner look into the Meze 99 Classics or Neo's. They're closed so they work in an office setting, easy to drive and a pretty pleasing signature. Check their thread lots of good info.

1000+ Head-Fier

have you tried the etymotics line? i really like their sound signature, and the isolation is (scarily) great. like you i also playing with the idea of buying earmuffs and just using earbuds when i go out, but that means i have to carry another large object with me. and also i don't like walking around wearing headphones, it's hot to the ears and people tend to look at you in my country. i went with iem and bluetooth neckband combo instead

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By Periodic Audio. It's the only beryllium IEM I'm aware of at least.

I forgot about the Etymotic IEMs! I used to own their ER4XR model. The deep insertion hurt my right ear canal, but they had a great reference tuning. I prefer the earbuds now for reference listening, especially with the huge soundstage difference, which was their greatest weakness.

I'm mainly looking for something to replace the CampFred 2 now. Maybe I should have worn something like these over them lol. Doubt it would have fit very well though.

If you are looking for some on/over ears with use in a portable manner look into the Meze 99 Classics or Neo's. They're closed so they work in an office setting, easy to drive and a pretty pleasing signature. Check their thread lots of good info.

Headphoneus Supremus

If you are looking for some on/over ears with use in a portable manner look into the Meze 99 Classics or Neo's. They're closed so they work in an office setting, easy to drive and a pretty pleasing signature. Check their thread lots of good info.

Headphoneus Supremus

I forgot about the Etymotic IEMs! I used to own their ER4XR model. The deep insertion hurt my right ear canal, but they had a great reference tuning. I prefer the earbuds now for reference listening, especially with the huge soundstage difference, which was their greatest weakness.

I'm mainly looking for something to replace the CampFred 2 now. Maybe I should have worn something like these over them lol. Doubt it would have fit very well though.

well there's Urbanfun Hi-fi Beryllium, but i think that's a whole level of price range from the Periodic ones

Yup, i could never get a seal with the tri flanges to fit in my left ears, in the eand i mod the ER4XR to be able to use regular size nozzled tips, and use some medium double flanges. never been happier. i agree with the small soundstage, but to me that's what makes them special, it's like sitting in a studio session right in the middle of the players. no other earphones that i have that does that, so for now it's a keeper.

if soundstage is the issue, i think using earbuds is a better solution, altough even using earbuds with earmuff will make the soundstage drop a little and make them more like IEM

I think the real question here is how is the cable on the zoomfreds. Is it soft enough?

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It's not stiff. Nothing like the CAX Black, especially after the splitter, since the cables lose the thick covering.

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Feel like I should clarify here. They are not Shozy / CampFred / etc. flexible, but compared to my Diomnes, they're around the same stiffness before the splitter. After the splitter, it's more flexible in comparison. I would say it's nothing to worry about.

Headphoneus Supremus

Got my ZoomFred's in. Out of the box, I already find these pretty impressive. Bass and soundstage is what surprises me the most. Can't wait to burn these in. The bass already sounds better than the CampFred's, which is already a step above the QFred's. Cypherus seems to have nailed the tonality with these. Makes me REALLY curious about the CAX Red Dragon more now lol. Also, makes me wonder why I have so much trouble with IEMs and headphones.

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Wow! Now I really want to buy ZoomFred! I come from the other end, wondering how ZoomFred sounds like when compared to Red Dragon. Herry said it's not in the same league as Red Dragon but more portable. I want something that is like a "baby Red Dragon" but more portable so that I can bring it outside, and also not worry about them breaking. ZF is more than half the price of Red Dragon so it wouldn't feel as bad if they broke while using them outside.